Lambert 1, NY 1902

Frank Lambert, a French immigrant spent seventeen years developing the Lambert. The first patent was in 1884 and it came to market in 1896. One types by pushing down on one of the keys, causing the whole round disk to tilt down in that direction. Down below, just above the typing point, is a convex, vulcanite surface, with all of the characters molded into it. This surface is connected to the upper disk and tilts in the correct direction, as it descends down to make contact with the paper. The middle knob is pushed down for a space. (via The Martin Howard Collection)